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Benefits of owning a pet are coming to the forefront, as more and more research is being dedicated to this line of thought.

Following are the benefits that will hopefully motivate you to get a pet for yourself:

1. They love you unconditionally, and are a great source of support.
2. Pets provide you constant companionship and prevent against isolation. They make you feel needed.

   

3. They act as great listeners, and thus, provide a vent for your feelings.
4. Some pets need to be taken out for walks. As a result, they act as motivators for you to step out, exercise and interact with people. Thus, acting as protective factors against heart diseases and depression.
5. They help children with developmental disorders. For example, in case of autism, pets help improve their social interaction; in case of ADHD, they help children release their excess energy. They also help reduce the anxiety and stress that these children experience as a result of their daily life challenges.

   

6. A snuggle with your pet will help you calm down and get rid of your anxiety and stress.

   

7. By giving you a reason to wake up every morning, they provide your life with a sense of purpose.
8. Pets help provide some structure and routine to your day-to-day life.

It is because of the recognition of these mental health benefits that pets serve, that animals now are being used for therapy in the form of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT).

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            Addiction to anything refers to an inability to control one’s impulses and as a result, compulsively indulging in the behavior under question in excessive amounts, to the extent that it causes disruption in one’s daily life functioning. Whether social media addiction can be considered a separate mental disorder, be considered a part of a pre-existing diagnostic category, or not be considered a disorder at all is still debatable.

How many of us check our Facebook or Instagram as the first thing we do in the morning?  Do you feel the urge to keep checking your social media accounts, every few minutes? Do you keep going back to your posts to see how many likes and comments it has received? On the face of it, social media addiction may just seem like a bad habit. However, seeing the rising incidence and intensity with which people engage in this habit is a clear sign that it has become much more than just a bad habit.

It is difficult to determine the point at which likeness for an activity changes into a habit, then to an unhealthy habit, and then crosses over the line to become an addiction that adversely affects a person’s life. Some signs that you may be addicted to social media are as given below:

• Being preoccupied with thoughts about the various social media platforms that you are on. Furthermore, thinking how you will use them to attract people’s attention.

  

• Feeling the urge to share everything happening in your life instantly on social media.
• Feeling the compulsion to keep checking others’ updates and views, likes, and comments on your posts.
• Using social media as a psychological escape from your problems.
• Being physically present but mentally engaged in social media, even when among people.
• Failure to complete the tasks set for the day due to being preoccupied and distracted by social media.
• Preferring online interactions and avoiding or fearing face-to-face interactions. This negatively affects your real life relationships since you spend more time online, rather than face-to-face interactions.

Research has found a link between excessive use of social media and poor mental health.

We all use social media, but what is it that makes some more prone than the rest to become addicted to it?

Risk Factors

• Suffering from anxiety disorder or depression.
• Experiencing too much stress, so using social media to decompress.
• Having poor social skills.
• Feeling you do not fit-in among the people around you.

Managing your Addiction

• Set aside certain times of the day for using social media. Create a schedule; do not use it beyond that.
• Switch off all notifications.
• Engage in alternate forms of communication, such as face-to-face interactions.

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Although incorrectly, empathy and sympathy are two distinct words that people often end up confusing and using interchangeably. Both the words share a similar root i.e. they are derived from the Greek word “pathos”, which means “feeling” or “suffering”. Therefore, both the words deal with emotions that one has in reference to another person. However, they are in no way synonymous because of the prefixes attached to them, which differentiates the meaning of the two words from each other.

While the prefix sym in the word sympathy, comes from the Greek word sýn, which means “together”, the prefix em in the word empathy, comes from the Greek word eń, which means “within”. Thus, while sympathy means sharing the same opinions, interests, or feelings as the other, empathy goes beyond sympathy. It denotes not only the sharing of emotions but also an understanding of them as if they are one’s own. So, while sympathy signifies feelings of pity and compassion towards someone’s sorrow and suffering, empathy refers to one’s ability to experience a situation by putting oneself in someone else’s shoes. This way, empathy involves the component of projection, which requires one to be able to imagine how the other person might be feeling in a situation.

Empathy is considered a higher order feeling because of its complex nature. Thus, you might find it easier to sympathize with someone than empathize with them. It is because of this reason that not everyone is said to be empathetic by nature. The two words might be used in similar contexts such as a death in one’s family. However, the following examples will clarify how the two words convey different feelings even in a similar context.

“I am sorry for your loss.”

This statement communicates sympathy. Sometimes, sympathy ends up conveying that the person facing the situation, is the only one suffering from the problem while the rest seem to be coping just fine. This might make the person in front of you feel patronized. Thus, instead of offering support, it might end up making them feel alone in their struggle.

“I can understand how hard this must be for you. Having lost a loved one myself, I know how this can feel.”

This statement communicates empathy. It conveys that feeling what the person is feeling right now is normal and common. Hence, it is more reassuring than the above statement.

A person is more likely to feel connected to the person who empathizes with them, rather than the one who sympathizes with them.

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Incidents like an older, taller boy troubling the shorter boy of his class or a junior by snatching away his tiffin or tripping him are fairly common.

We have all been a part of bullying at some point in our childhood. Whether it was as a survivor, a perpetrator or a bystander. Although these incidents in retrospect or from a distance may seem very trivial, bullying is a very serious act that can have grave consequences both in the short-term as well as the long-term for the survivor as well as the perpetrator. Possible effects for all three parties involved are mentioned below –

For the Survivor

• Bunking or dropping out of school
• Social and emotional withdrawal
• Loss of self-confidence
• Having nightmares; trouble falling asleep
• Loss of appetite
• Adverse impact on academic performance
• Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
• Anger outbursts
• Developing mental health problems such as anxiety disorders, depression or PTSD as a result of the trauma experienced in extreme cases
• Engaging in self-harm
• Increased risk of committing suicide

Dr Prerna Kohli India’s Top Psychologist Talks about Effects of Childhood Bullying

For the Perpetrator

• Difficulty forming relationships due to lack of empathy or style of relating with others
• Engaging in high-risk behaviors
• Increased risk of substance abuse and also developing an antisocial personality disorder

For the Bystander

• Increased risk of substance abuse
• Constant fear of becoming the target, therefore skipping school
• Increased risk of developing an anxiety disorder or depression

It is important to realize that a bystander makes an active choice when he/she decides not to do anything about witnessing bullying. They then are doing any one of the following three things – 1) they are either choosing to ignore the situation because it does not affect them directly, 2) they are too scared to report the matter, 3) they are actually deriving sadistic pleasure by seeing someone else suffer. Not intervening when one witnesses bullying is a way of encouraging the bully to carry on with his behavior. Whichever be the case, observing and not intervening in such situations is not only the wrong thing to do but also has harmful effects on the bystander.

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Someone who is suffering from depression goes through a very difficult time. But, it gets more difficult when the person doesn’t know what is happening to them and why is it happening to them. Similarly, a child suffering from depression doesn’t understand their own feelings. Hence, it becomes the parent’s responsibility to help the child deal with depression.

Thus, below are few things a parent can do in helping their child deal with depression:

A Nurturing Environment:

It’s very important to create a strong bond with your child. A healthy and strong parent-child relationship creates a space for them to open up. Along with it, it’s important for you to encourage your child to set a routine, with good sleeping and eating habits. Also, encouraging them to enter a physical activity helps them to express better. The child should be encouraged for his/her good behaviour and should be given a space where they can start making friends, in and outside the school and community. But, spending quality time with your child should be the first priority. Most importantly, to create a nurturing environment, it’s important to listen to them empathetically without any prior judgements.

Give them a feeling of Safety:

Mostly a child faces depression due to feelings of insecurity. Hence, it is important for a parent to make the child feel secure. Don’t hesitate to talk to your child; ask what is actually bothering them. If they are facing issues like bullying or stress, if yes, then try to solve the issue. Also, the child could start acting like this as a reaction to a loss or a grief. Thus, it is important to have a heartfelt conversation and connection with your child. Also, try and keep them away from any kind of discord, and if you feel that they are thinking about suicide it’s good to ask them about it. Asking about it will not instigate the thought instead they will feel heard.

Educate Yourself:

It’s very important to educate yourself about the illness. Once you understand the illness and know about the symptoms and how it can be cured you can actively help your child find proper treatment. Also, once you understand the illness, you can help your child to understand their illness and help them stay strong through the situation. Learning about the symptoms of suicide, and talking about it will help you and your child to process the emotions. Thus, making them feel better.

If you think your child is showing the signs of depression, it’s very important to take them to a psychologist immediately.

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In today’s time, with technology and social media, the level of human interaction is decreasing. Even in a parent-child relationship, the communication between the parent and the child has fizzled out. According to a survey, children as young as a 6-year-old child can also show symptoms of depression. But, parents mostly dismiss them by putting it as a normal emotional behaviour in the child. Thus, by this statement the child’s depression often gets un-noticed. How to Identifying Depression?

Thus, below are few identifying symptoms of depression in children:

Low Mood and Unhappiness:

The child will most of the time present a very low mood. They will constantly feel down and unhappy.

Crying:

Showing your emotions is not a bad thing. But, when the child is always crying or tearful then it becomes an indicating symptom.

Irritable:

The child starts getting irritated at small things. Sometimes, they show irritable behaviour even when someone is trying to console them.

Low Energy:

Most of the times, the child will not be willing to indulge in any activity. Thus, showing lack, low energy.

Socially Isolated:

The child will start isolating himself/herself from others. They start preferring to stay alone and not indulge themselves in any activity. Thus, they will start to lose interest in activities they used to enjoy or like.

Lack of Sleep and Appetite:

Due to overthinking and worry they can’t sleep. Also, their appetite goes down or up too much.

Difficulty in Focusing and Concentrating:

A lot of times, they are unable to focus or concentrate on a single thing. Thus, hampering their decision-making capabilities. Their focus keeps on wandering and they start to reminiscence about their past and start thinking what went wrong.

Psychosomatic Pain:

As children are unable to express their feelings, their body starts showing symptoms of their feelings. Usually, the child will constantly have head or stomach aches without any medical reason.

Feelings of Guilt and Worthlessness:

The child will start blaming themselves for everything. Thus, it will make them feel that they are worthless and have an immense feeling of guilt. Hence, hampering their self-esteem.

Thoughts of Self-Harm:

Lastly, some of the children also show thoughts of self-harm and suicide. They will constantly feel worthless and think about ending their life.

If your child, or any child you know show these symptoms of depression, then it is advisable to visit a psychologist immediately.

To learn more about Dr Prerna Kohli.

Clicking selfies is a new form of art in today’s generation. Every selfie should get a like on all the social media platforms. It gives an outlook to where the person is, and what the person is doing. It also presents the person how he or she is looking.

But, in recent studies, it is shown that clicking selfies has become an addiction. Not so long ago, there was news, where the person who was clicking selfies fell down a gorge and died. Recently it has become an obsessive addiction.

A person clicking numerous selfies in a day might be suffering from selfie addiction.

Hence, below are few signs of selfie addiction:

Low Self-Esteem:

One of the major indications of selfie addiction is a child’s low self-esteem. Through selfie’s the person is trying to gain admiration from outside. The clicking and uploading of the photo and then waiting for the approval gives an indication to them. They crave for people’s likeability.

An obsession of Appearance:

Accepting how one looks is admirable. But, people who are constantly obsessed with how they look becomes damaging. Most of the people who have this addiction often spend most of the time how they look. They spend extra hours and effort towards their appearance. Hence, when they click or post the selfie, they start to feel admired of their appearance.

Sudden Mood Changes:

A person who is a selfie addict will start showing sudden mood changes when they are not allowed to click selfies. These mood changes can range from extreme rage to extreme sadness. In some cases, the person starts feeling depressed. Also, they start showing personality changes, if they are being bullied online.

Large Photo-Library:

One of the most obvious signs of selfie addiction is a large selfie portfolio. The person’s gallery is filled with selfie’s. Their gallery will be filled with thousands of selfies. Thus, it becomes one of the biggest signs of selfie addiction.

If you think your child or someone you know is suffering from selfie addiction, then the best way is to talk to them. Talking to them actually helps to the problem. If you still see that the person is not improving then please visit a professional for advice.

To Learn More about Dr. Prerna Kohli.

Giving birth to a child is a wonderful experience. It feels like there has been an extension of you. But, many times it leads to a depressive phase. Many doctors and psychologists overlook it as ‘baby blues’. People expect the mothers to be happy about the experience. Thus, it puts an external pressure on the mother to hide her “bad” emotions.

Hiding ones’ emotions is a very difficult task to do. In between these emotions, the mother is then forced to hide her sadness. Finally, the hidden sadness leads to depression.

Post-partum depression usually occurs during the first year of childbirth. There are many reasons which can cause depression. Which include the history of the person, complications in childbirth or stress during or after pregnancy.

Below are few symptoms of Post-Partum Depression:

Unable to Take Care:

After a childbirth, it is very important for a mother to take care of herself. Along with her, it is also important for her to take care of the baby. But, a person suffering from post-partum depression is unable to take care of the baby or herself.

Fears:

When a mother suffers from this kind of depression, an unwanted extreme fear emerges. She is constantly anxious about taking care of the baby. The fear revolves around she is not a good mother. Thus, the fear then starts causing her extreme levels of anxiety.

Mood Swings:

A woman will suffer from certain levels of mood swings after she has given birth. But, in this case, the mood swings are extreme. They turn from extreme rage to extreme sadness. Sometimes the rage is even directed towards the child.

Lack of Interest:

Usually, a new mother will have different kinds of interest. But, in this, the mother loses her interest in all her daily activities. She even loses her interest in the things she liked to do. Because of her sadness, she is unable to actually enjoy the activities she liked.

Guilt:

Guilt and sadness go hand in hand. The mother starts feeling guilty about everything. Thoughts like, “I am a bad mother”, “Why do I have to bear the child?” etc. takes over. Which then result in extreme guilt, where the mother is drenched in them. Hence, it starts a vicious cycle of guilt and sadness.

Suicidal Thoughts:

The mother starts having suicidal thoughts. She starts believing that the baby would be better off without her. Because she is a bad mother, the baby doesn’t deserve her. Hence, thoughts of suicide start occurring.

Depression and anxiety can happen to anyone. Hence, if you or someone you know is suffering from depression then please visit a professional immediately.

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More than 60% people in India suffer from depression. Depression is a very common disease among all the age groups. Empathetically speaking, a person suffering from depression feels very lonely and sad. But, the illness itself doesn’t live in the vacuum. It creates an effect which affects all the people who are near and dear them. How to overcome Depression?

The fear of judgment makes them feel closed up. It leaves the family members in a confusion and they don’t actually understand what is happening. Communication with the person who is suffering from depression becomes very difficult.

Ways to Help Your Friend or Family Member

Thus, the question arises, how can we help our friend or family member. Below are few ways to help them:

Educate Yourself:

It’s very important to educate yourself about the illness your friend is suffering from. It might be very difficult for you to cure them, but it will be easier if you understand their situation. Educating yourself on their situation will help you cope up with their moods, and generate patience within you.

Ask Questions:

Most of the times, a person suffering from depression will never come and tell you what they are feeling. They always have a fear of being judged or criticised for their emotions. To know and understand their position, it’s better to ask them. But, remember to ask the questions empathetically. Below are few questions you can ask them:

• When did it start?
• Do you think there is a situation which triggered it? What was the situation?
• Are you having suicidal thoughts?
• What is it that still makes you feel happy?
• Is there a situation where you feel worse?

Helping them Identify the Stressor:

Depression will always be accompanied by stress. Hence, identifying the stressor will help them and you understand their situation very well. When a person is suffering from stress, they are not able to think very well. Hence, the situation seems more complex to them. Thus, by identifying the stressor you can help them try and reduce them.

Taking Outside Help:

No matter what illness someone is suffering from professional help is always required. You should encourage your friend or family member to take professional help in curing their illness. It’s the stigma and the fear of judgment which stops someone from taking professional help. Hence, you should encourage them to break the stigma and take the help required.

Enhance their Strengths:

A person who is suffering from depression will always feel that they are not worthy. They feel like they have lost all their strength and hope in their life. Hence, it becomes your responsibility to remind them of their strengths. You need to remind them that they are incredibly strong while facing this situation. It’s always good to boost their confidence by showing them their achievements.

Be with them and Let them know it will go away:

One of the basic things you can do is to be with them. Hence, by being with them you can make them laugh. And as we all know, laughter is the best medicine. No matter what joke, or stand-up comedy, or funny movie you watch together, it’s always good to laugh. By doing this, they will know that you are there for them and are trying to make them feel better.

Also, a person suffering from depression feels like they can never get out of it. Hence, only one sentence can give them a lot of strength. All you have to say and remind them is, “it will pass away, and you won’t always feel the same way”.

Listen to them:

Most importantly, just listen to them. Listening to them without any judgment or criticism will help them a long way. Empathetic listening is one of the most important ways to let them know you are there for them. Also, it is the most important way to help your friend or family member.

Conclusion

Remember, a professional will only spend a bit of time with the person. But, no one knows them better than you. Hence, supporting them in their time of need is very important. It’s you who spends the maximum amount of time with them.

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Grieving over a loss becomes the expression of the self. It presents the way a person pays respect to the lost “object”. Grieving over the loss object becomes very important and essential. But, the way someone grieves varies. It depends on the relationship with the person or object, on the physical health of the person and even the mental health.

How Does Grief Affect?

The reaction towards grief is different for every individual. Anxiety and helplessness often accompany in periods of grief. Sometimes, there are bursts of emotions and anger. Anger might come from the fact of the loss itself. Being left alone, becomes a lonely and frustrating affair. Then sadness follows, but it comes at a later period.

Knowing that these feelings are normal is very important. It helps in the grieving process in itself. Thus, it gives a hope that everything will turn out well. Also, it is also very important that you know these feelings will pass away.

Although, it’s a long process it varies from person to person. For some, it takes few weeks for others it might take a year or more. Thus, some people also need therapy or counseling to cope up with grief. But, eventually, it will go away. So, the hope to recover, helps you to cope with it.

How to cope with grief?

Firstly, it is important to know that there are no quick fixes. It will take its time depending on the relationship between the person or the object. But, after the period passes away it is less likely to be at the forefront of your mind.

Below are some ways which can help you in times of loss:

1. Express: Talking about the loss helps in coping up with it. It soothes the pain and helps in the healing process. A good friend, a therapist, a family member or a counselor can help you begin the process.
2. Feeling Sad: It is a normal process to feel sad. You should allow yourself to feel sad. It helps you express the turmoil you are feeling. It is also a healthy part of grieving.
3. Routine: Keeping up with the routine is very important. It helps you process and keeps you functional. Simple things like, walking the dog or eating your favorite meal help in the process of being functional.

   

4. Sleep: An emotional problem always effects your sleep. Sleeping recharges your emotional strength. If you have trouble sleeping then please see a professional.
5. Eat Healthily: A healthy well-maintained diet helps you cope up. A good physical health helps in keeping a healthy emotional health.
6. Avoid the thing which “Numb”: It is important that you avoid things which “numb” the pain. Alcohol and other substances will help you numb the pain momentarily. Once the effect wears off, the pain will be increased. Also, it can start a vicious cycle of addiction, which will lead to other problems.

When to get help?

Going to counseling straight away might not be a good option. But, if the sadness persists over a couple of months it is advised to get help. You will know when you want counseling or professional help. If the following persists you for over two months then it is best to get help.

1. You are not able to cope up with the emotions and unable to function daily routines.
2. The extreme emotions are not going away.
3. Loss of sleep.

   

4. You start showing symptoms of depression or anxiety.
5. Your other relationships are being affected.
6. Facing sexual problems.
7. Taking care of someone who is not able to cope up well.
8. Having a lot of accidents, or becoming accident-prone.

In conclusion, grief feels like a very difficult and lonely process. But, the ray of hope leads to a better environment. It is necessary that you do not isolate yourself. It is very important to be around friends or loved ones in such periods. You can always consult a professional, or a counselor to help you cope with grief.

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